Calls for Ukraine
Calls for Europe
Calls for USA
X
Calls for Ukraine
Calls for Europe
Calls for USA
Eng
Zinc deficiency is associated with an increased risk of lung infection
Dietary zinc deficiency leads to infection of the lungs caused by the bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii, a leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia, according to a new study published in November in the journal Nature Microbiology.
A team of researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center found an unexpected link between the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) and lung infection caused by A. baumannii and demonstrated in an animal model that blocking IL-13 prevents death associated with this infection.
The findings suggest that anti-IL-13 antibodies approved by the FDA for use in humans may protect against bacterial pneumonia in zinc-deficient patients.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that neutralization of IL-13 can prevent mortality from bacterial infection. This discovery points to the possibility of using antibodies to IL-13 in patients with zinc deficiency and pneumonia caused by A. baumannii as part of a personalized therapy approach,” noted Eric Skaar, PhD, professor of pathology and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation
About 20% of the world’s population is at risk for zinc deficiency, which can impair immune function and is a major risk factor for pneumonia. The World Health Organization considers zinc deficiency a leading cause of disease and death.
Patients at risk of zinc deficiency, especially the critically ill and elderly, are also at risk of A. baumannii infection. Patients in healthcare settings are at the highest risk of infection, especially those who are on ventilators, connected to devices such as catheters, are in intensive care units or have long hospital stays. Skaar said A. baumannii is becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobials, making it a serious public health threat.
To find out if and how dietary zinc deficiency contributes to the pathogenesis of A. baumannii, the researchers created a mouse model of dietary zinc deficiency and concurrent acute pneumonia caused by A. baumannii. Lauren Palmer, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, led the research.
The researchers found that zinc-deficient mice had an increased bacterial load of A. baumannii in the lungs, the bacteria spread to the spleen, and the animals had increased mortality compared to mice with adequate dietary zinc intake. Zinc-deficient mice were shown to produce more IL-13 during infection, and administration of IL-13 to zinc-sufficient mice promoted the spread of A. baumannii to the spleen. Treatment with antibodies against IL-13 protected zinc-deficient mice from death caused by A. baumannii infection.
The findings add to a growing body of research showing that deficiencies in certain nutrients are associated with IL-13 production and a “type II” immune response.
“IL-13 may be an important risk factor for healthcare-associated and opportunistic lung infections, which further supports the study of IL-13 as a target for treatment,” Skaar noted.
Antibodies against IL-13 (lebrikizumab and tralokinumab), approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have been widely studied as potential treatments for uncontrolled severe asthma. Clinical trials have demonstrated their safety.
Categories:
News
Topics:
Published:
Updated:
Medical author, Medical editor:
Medical expert:
All categories:
- Diseases (3)
- Interview (16)
- Medical articles (60)
- News (80)
- War (9)
Do you have any questions?
Get a free consultation from our experts
